Florida freshman wide receiver Vernell Brown III (8) evades Miami defenders Sept. 20, 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. [Matthew Lewis/WRUF]

Florida’s Vernell Brown III Among ESPN’s Top 10 Freshmen

Florida wide receiver Vernell Brown III was named among the top 10 freshmen so far this season by ESPN.

Brown III’s debut in orange and blue against Long Island University made him the third true freshman receiver to start a season opener in program history, joining Percy Harvin (2006) and Antonio Callaway (2015). The last time a true freshman at any position had a start in a season opener for the Gators was offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor in 2016.

Brown III caught the eyes of many with a 41-yard, one-handed catch with a minute and a half left in the second quarter of the opener. He finished the game with three catches for 79 yards, the most by a true freshman receiver making his first start in program history. Brown III’s catch made ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays of the day at No. 1.

https://twitter.com/GatorsFB/status/1962241976981500002

Following Brown’s debut against LIU, he returned a punt for 40 yards during the game against USF and finished the game with five catches for 56 yards.

The following week in Death Valley against LSU, Brown led the team with 62 receiving yards on eight catches. He also had 43 yards on three punt returns.

Against Miami, Brown caught both of his target passes for 22 yards and returned a kick for 19 yards.

“In a rocky start for Florida, Brown has been a bright spot,” ESPN’s Billy Tucker wrote.

Brown has fulfilled the role of primary punt and kick returner for the Gators, racking up 172 yards in the return game alone. He has a team-high 18 receptions for 219 yards, 12.2 yards per catch. Brown is first in the nation in all-purpose yards among true freshmen with 391.

ESPN’s top 10 freshmen list includes wide receivers, quarterbacks, defensive ends and cornerbacks. Brown’s receptions and yards rank second among true freshmen, behind Miami’s Malachi Toney, who’s listed No. 4 on the list.

Brown’s ties to the Gators are strong. He’s the son of Vernell Brown II (2001-2005) and grandson of Vernell Brown Sr. (1982-1985), making him a triple legacy. His uncle, Vincent Brown, played on the Gators’ 2008 National Championship team and cousin, Vincent Brown Jr., plays defensive back alongside Brown III.

While the legacy is prevalent, Brown has quickly made his own impact on the field through four games. Will Brown score his first touchdown against No. 9 Texas on Saturday to add to his list of accolades as a true freshman?

Category: College Football, Gators Football, SEC